‘Excessive force’? Indonesia wants Malaysia to probe patrol officers’ shooting of migrants that left 1 dead
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency had “fired several shots” at a boat, allegedly belonging to Indonesian migrant workers in the waters off Morib Beach in Selangor on Friday (Jan 24).

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JAKARTA: Indonesia has raised concerns over the possible use of “excessive force” following a shooting involving Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency officers that left one Indonesian migrant worker dead and four others injured.
Indonesia’s government urged Malaysia to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident that took place in the waters of Tanjung Rhu, Selangor on Friday (Jan 24), news agency Antara reported.
“The Indonesian Embassy will also send a diplomatic note to urge an investigation into the incident, including the possible use of excessive force,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director for Indonesian citizen protection Judha Nugraha told CNA on Monday.
Selangor police had earlier said that the shooting incident in the waters off Morib Beach on Friday at about 3am was the result of a confrontation between foreigners and the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency, according to the New Straits Times.
The Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency boat was conducting patrol duties in Tanjung Rhu.
Responding to CNA’s query on Monday, Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said the embassy had been communicating with the Royal Malaysia Police in monitoring the incident and has confirmed that the Indonesian citizen shot was “suspected of leaving Malaysia through an illegal route”.
The patrol officers had targeted five undocumented Indonesian migrant workers, Antara reported, though the Malaysian police have not ruled out the possibility that more migrants were on board the boat.
According to Selangor police chief Hussein Omar Khan, preliminary investigations revealed that the shooting occurred after a Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency patrol boat was rammed four times by another boat, allegedly belonging to the migrant workers.
“Officers fired several shots at the suspects’ boat in self-defence. However, the suspects managed to flee under the cover of darkness,” Hussein said, as quoted by the New Straits Times, adding that two of the workers had allegedly attempted to attack the patrol officers with machetes in the waters.
At 9am on Friday, the maritime agency received a tip-off from the public about a boat adrift along the coast of Banting Beach in Kuala Langat, according to the New Straits Times.
Two men were found in the boat, which the maritime agency located. One was pronounced dead at the scene while the other was critically injured and rushed to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang for treatment.
Meanwhile, Hussein also confirmed that police received a report regarding three other men, suspected to be foreign nationals, who sustained gunshot wounds and had sought treatment at the Sultan Idris Shah Hospital in Serdang.
“The three were conscious and had sustained injuries consistent with gunshot wounds,” Hussein said, as quoted by the New Straits Times, adding that the police report was filed by a medical officer from the hospital’s emergency department.
The three workers arrived at the hospital at about 7.30am on Friday.
“The Indonesian Embassy has requested consular access to see the deceased body and visit the injured victims,” Judha from Indonesia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry told CNA on Monday.
The ministry is working together with the Migrant Workers Protection Ministry which has expressed commitment to ensuring that the injured victims receive proper medical treatment, Antara reported.
“We are also assisting the families of the victims with legal aid and arranging the repatriation of the deceased’s body … We are still confirming their identities and contacting their families,” Christina Aryani, the deputy minister for migrant workers protection said, as quoted by the Jakarta Globe.
Aryani also told local media on Sunday that her ministry is looking to have a meeting with the Malaysian government to discuss preventive measures to ensure similar incidents do not happen again.
The meeting, she said, will address strategies to handle undocumented Indonesian migrant workers while emphasising the importance of upholding human rights.
Aryani noted that the five migrant workers were not carrying identification cards or travel documents at the time of the incident.
Hussein said that the incident was being investigated under Section 307 of the Penal Code for attempted murder and Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing civil servants from discharging their duties, the New Straits Times reported on Saturday.
The police also said that the boat involved in the incident could have carried up to 20 people and some might still be at large. The boat however had no dangerous weapons or illegal items, Hussein said.
“Efforts are underway to track the remaining suspects,” Hussein said on Saturday, as quoted by the New Straits Times.
He added that the police had already recorded statements of one of the four injured foreigners, as of Saturday.
Separately, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto arrived in Putrajaya on Monday for a state visit at the invitation of Malaysian king, Sultan Ibrahim.
Prabowo is scheduled to hold a meeting with Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim to exchange views on bilateral cooperation and “regional and international issues of mutual interest”, according to a press release by Malaysia’s Foreign Affairs Ministry.
A report by the Malay Mail said that Indonesia’s Migrant Workers Protection Minister Abdul Kadir Karding will be among the delegates accompanying Prabowo.
Additional reporting by Denny Armandhanu